INSTALL CCTV CAMERAS IN ALL TAXIS AND MINICABS TO PROTECT PASSENGERS FROM ASSAULT & ABUSE

I arrived back to London earlier in the day having cut my holiday short because I had to teach a Constitutional & Administrative Law class at the University of London. Prior to teaching every class, I will always prebook an Addison Lee taxi which picked me up at 7:10 pm. This day was no different except that the Addison Lee driver John Adebayo Owosho (Black Mercedez E220) sent to pick me up violently grabbed and hit my hands then subsequently barricaded me inside his vehicle when I tried to get away. John Adebayo Owosho will probably assault someone else if I remain silent and do not speak up. I was alone with him in his vehicle and since there were no CCTV cameras/dash cams inside the car to reveal the chain of events and I was not physically bleeding the police would not arrest and charge him for assault and battery. I have used Addison Lee services for years and never had a problem or any argument with any of the drivers. I have always preferred their services to Uber or any other car company and regardless of the negative reviews, I still maintained my account with the company and insisted that Addison Lee was the best for me. My encounter with their driver John Adebayo Owosho this particular night was different and the chain of events still physically shakes me.

The police tell me that since I have no physical evidence (I was not bleeding) and most importantly because there was no CCTV or Dash CAMS to reveal the chain of events, it will be difficult to arrest him and charge him as it is my word against his. I was distraught. The policewoman says that the public was misguided on what exactly happens in these types of cases and asks if it was my first time of calling the police on an incident. I explained that it was actually my first time calling the police on someone in my entire life and this shows how serious this is. She then says the police were underfunded and these types of cases lead to nowhere. I also found it interesting that the police officer referred to the driver hitting me as a TAP and asked I should go home, relax and have a glass of wine.

The police then asked I file a formal complaint against the driver to Addison Lee and they would also do the same which is the most they can do. I called Addison Lee customer service and they were extremely helpful and apologised profusely and sent the emails attached below. I refuse to go home, relax and have a glass of wine while this man and others like him still roam the street. I was physically grabbed, barricaded and hit by this potentially very dangerous driver, I was alone in his car and it could have been worse, I could have been stabbed by this man or worse then maybe that is only time the police will respond and take action. This could happen to any young girl left alone with him and I refuse to let him get away with it. I refuse to believe this is his first time getting physical with anyone because this man was so angry and aggressive. If John Adebayo Awosho casually assaulted me, I believe he would do it to someone else. Addison Lee was extremely gracious in handling the issue but discounts and upgrades will not offset the trauma I went through and have barely been able to sleep without having major horrifying flashbacks. I will be requesting the recorded call to Addison Lee controller at the time of the incident to prove he lied to the police and changed his story as I pursue civil litigation since the police won't press criminal charges.

I, therefore, implore the UK government to legally mandate CCTV cameras inside every vehicle used for commercial purposes to reveal exactly the chain of events. John Adebayo Awosho was not arrested and charged because there was no CCTV camera to provide the evidence the police needed. Mandating CCTV cameras in all taxis and minicabs will help deter dangerous drivers from assaulting passengers and provide checks. Many of these types of assault cases go unreported and quiet due to lack of immediate evidence. When there is lack of immediate evidence, the hands of the police are tied to bring the culprit to justice. If mandating working cameras can save or protect one life or bring one dangerous driver to justice then it is worth the effort.

EMAILS FROM ADDISON LEE BELOW:

Hi Cynthia,

I hope this email finds you well.

As per our conversation on the phone please allow me to extend my apologies on this incident.

I am writing the email to confirm what we have ensured in our conversation as the driver has been banned from doing any of your jobs and with reference to the points you have raised, I have noted all your comments on the driver’s permanent record and this incident has been referred for further investigation to our Driver Liaison department. The driver will be interviewed regarding the incident and depending on the results of the investigation, referred to one of our disciplinary options including the termination of the driver's contract with us.

I do have some thoughts on setting up protocols for making sure this incident does not repeat itself. I would like to upgrade you to the highest priority tier that is the Black Tier ensuring that you will be preserved as the highest priority.Please accept 5 £10.00 promo codes. You can visit https://www.addisonlee.com/promo-code-terms-and-conditions/ for more information or call me directly on 02039103716 for anything else.

Of course, that does not alleviate the discomforting position we left you in.While I promise to make sure this never happens again, in the meantime know that I appreciate your patience and understanding.

I am sorry for letting you down and for all the inconvenience.Please do let me know for anything else.

Sincerely,

Surjeel KhanCustomer Experience Advisor.

SECOND EMAIL FROM ADDISON LEE;

Dear Cynthia,

Thank you for your email.I am sorry for responding you late.I have forwarded the attached video to our investigating team to use it as a proof as well. After speaking to you and discussing it in details, we would have not needed any further confirmation as we have completely trusted the information that was shared from your end but thank you very much for sharing that with us.On behalf of whole Addison Lee we would like to apologise and promise that this kind of incident will not happen again.

Please do let me know for anything else.

Thank you.

Sincerely,Surjeel Khan

Customer Experience Advisor.

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UK Parliament: GOVERNMENT SHOULD INSIST CCTV CAMERAS ARE INSTALLED INSIDE ALL TAXIS AND MINICABS TO PROTECT PASSENGERS FROM ASSAULT.

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